The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-10-13
A MAN WITH A MEMORY.

his Georgia campaign. a man sup
posed to be rebel spy was one day ar
rested in a Union camp. He was in
Federal uniform, but his look and lam
guage were Enthusiastically Southern.
He claimed to belong to regiment in
another camp about two miles away,
and he was sent to the guard house
until his assertion could be verified or
disproved. was officer of the day at
camp that day, and that is how came
to learn so many of the particulars of
the affair am relating. 1t was in the
camp of n Wisconsin regiment that the
spy who gave his name as George
Swift, was arrested. He had come
there ostensibly to visit friends, but
some of the boys had seen him slyly
taking notes, and he had asked such
questions as no private Federal soldier
would have any use for. 1t was pretty
generally understood that the Confed-
crates were using every exertioR to
secure a knowledge of Sherman's
strength and movements, and the boys
had no sooner got the idea that the
stranger was a spy than they gave in
formation to me. and put him under
arrest. l saw at glance that he was
of Southern birth, This was not so
much against him, for at that time we
had plenty of Tennessee and Kentucky
men with Us.
"What command do you belong toP"
asked.
'eThe-th Illinois," he replied.
asked what brigade and division,
who was his Captain and various other
things. and he returned what seemed
to be straight answers to every ques-
ton. When | asked who he had come
to visit in the Wisconsin regiment he
was lame. He mentioned the name of
a man no one had ever heard of, 1t
was on this point alone that l held
him. A messenger was at once sent
after the Illinois Captain named, and
in about an hour he appeared. The
supposed spy was taken to the tent of
the brigade General, and as soon as
brought face to face with the Captain
he saluted and said:
Capt. Morton, the people here seem
to think am rebel spy"
..And who are you?" queried the
Captain, plainly astonished.
.'Do you ask that?" repoachfully in
qured the man. who should be
but George Swift of your own CONF
pany?"
You can't be. 1 never saw you be-
fore in my life.
"Why, Capt. Morton"
The two men looked at each other
as if doubling their own senses, and
the General asked of Swift:
"How long have you been with his
companyP"
-Four months, sir, came down as
recruit from Pekin."
"Who is your orderly sergeantP"
Sergeant White. SIR
"Who are your commissioned Off
cers?"
Capt. Morton, First Lieut.. Green,
and Lieut.. Davis. The latter is home
on furlough."
"How many men in the company?"
FIFTY eight, SIR"
"Who are your tent mates?"
Oscar Jackson, Thomas Parker,
and John Pridgeon.
"Well, CaptainP" queried the Gener-
al, as he turned to Capt. Morton.
The Captain was clean beat. He
was dead sure that no such man be-
longed to his company, and yet the
suspect had answered every question
as straight as a string.
"Pll stake my life that l never saw
this man before" the Captain finally
answered, land l know every man in
my company by name"
The spy was ordered to strip to his
shirt, and for the first time his cool
ness seemed to desert him. He re-
preached the Captain for permitting
this indignity, but slowly disrobed.
In one of his boot legs was a pocket,
and in this pocket we found paper
bearing figures as follows: